


A Day in the Life

by Longlivemyword



Category: SCP Foundation
Genre: Baelfire - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Gay, LGBTQ, Lesbian, M/M, Multi, OC, Romance, SCP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-09-17 00:56:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16964709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Longlivemyword/pseuds/Longlivemyword
Summary: Learn what it's like at the Foundation from the SCP's point of view following the stories of:SCP-5023: BaelfireSCP-5639: JihaSCP-6399: MolaSCP-7665: Daimo(all ocs of mine, not related to any possible corresponding SCPs with similar numbers)Hey, if you head on over to longlivethereaper.tumblr.com, you can ask more questions about your favs! I have art over there, too!





	1. 1

1.

I glanced back at my beat up car, already being sprinkled with the sand as a fierce wind whipped the particles around. Tired eyes turned to focus behind the chain link fence at the massive building. So many guards... Hopefully, I won't be shot down... I awkwardly clambered over a shorter portion of the fence, catching the sleeve of my hoodie on one of the spirals of barbed wire. The cloth ripped, however, my skin went unscathed so I brushed myself off and continued on, towards the high concrete walls, also topped with barbed wire. It didn't take long for a pair of heavily armored guards to notice and stop me.  
"You. Stop."  
I obliged and stood nervously, fidgeting with the hem of my sleeves.  
"What are you doing here?" demanded the other.  
"I-... this is the Foundation, right?" I sputtered, the nerves welling up in my belly.  
They glanced between each other.  
"Who are you?" the first one snapped, turning back to me, gun aimed at my chest.  
"Mm... I think... I-I think I'm a danger to society."  
Saying it out loud was hard. I practiced saying it all the way here, but saying it out loud was too much and the words caught in my throat.  
After a moment, a guard moved forward.  
"Come with us now."

I followed the guards inside, both aiming heavy artillery at me as though I could possibly kill them in an instant. Not surprising, I considered some of the things I'd heard about this place. They lead me inside, into some large open area where people were constantly walking back and forth between doors on opposite ends of the room. A large percentage of the people wore lab coats while others were either in guard or prison uniforms. One of my own guards called to someone wearing a suit, a rather expensive looking one, who came over. He, a tall man with pitch black hair and angry eyes, looked at me, then the guards quizzically.  
"Sir, our apologies. This civilian wandered onto our premises and claimed to be a threat to society," the first, taller guard explained.  
"An SCP?" he inquired, returning his gaze to me, looking more armed.  
"Supposedly, sir."  
The suited man shifted his weight onto one leg and considered something. He then took out a walkie and called for a Dr. Shep to meet him in exam room 2B.  
I shifted, biting the inside of my lip in uncertainty. What had I gotten myself into? I knew what I was capable of, what I could cause, and yet I was still nervous about selling my soul to the devil. I was about to give up total freedom to these people in the hopes that no more lives were lost.  
Fingers snapping in my face brought me back. I focused my gaze on the suit in front of me.  
"I am O5- [redacted]. From this point on you are going to be treated like any other SCP, understand?"  
"Uh--"  
"You will be subjected to tests, physical, mental and emotional. You will be cleaned vigorously, dressed in scrubs and given a thorough medical exam. Is that understood?" he demanded.  
My eyes flickered, focusing on one or the other of his eyes. Was he serious? They really were going to strip me of my privacy and all for what? Because I might,j just/might/ kill someone again? Or because I /already/ killed someone, no matter how vile, and am in need of some sort of justice? I glance nervously over to the initial guards who brought me here as if they might hold some answers in their emotionless helmet visors.  
"Y-yeah..." I mumbled, finally tearing my gaze away from the guards, turning it towards the O5.  
He nodded and turned, motioning for us to follow him. I hugged myself, a coping mechanism I've used for years, tightening my sweatshirt around myself tightly. We stopped in front of a room marked 'Exam Room 2B'. After swiping his card, the O5 opening the door and allowed me to enter first. This strangely looked like a normal doctor's exam room, with pamphlets and posters on both normal and unheard of diseases and how to prevent them. I glanced back at the others, specifically the guards, but it was the O5 who motioned towards the medical cot.  
"Dr. Shep will be here soon enough, so sit tight until then."  
"Wait--"  
Before the tall man could leave, he sighed and turned somewhat towards me.  
"Don't you... well... want to know?" I mumbled, glancing between him and the guards nervously.  
"I'll read the reports later," he responded, leaving curtly.  
The guard who initially talked to me stepped inside only to hand me a pile of clothes.  
"There's a shower through that door," he informed me once I had accepted what I assumed to be scrubs. "Clean thoroughly."  
"W-wait," I sputtered.  
He waited more patiently than the O5.  
"What's your name?"  
The guard paused, then glanced down at his chest before sighing. He turned back to the other guard, who had apparently been listening, and was frantically searching his pockets. A moment later, he pulled what looked to be an ID card from his pocket and returned it to the other guard.  
"Sorry, Hu-- Jenckles," he sputtered.  
The guard, apparently Jenckles, sighed and clipped on his name tag before turning back to me.  
"This is Donahue and I'm Jenckles," he finally responded. "We might not always be your guards, but it's a high probability considering we made initial contact. Now, go shower before the doctor arrives."  
I glanced between them a moment more before doing as I was told. The bathroom's shower looked more like a decontamination chamber, but that was probably for the best. The soap burned my skin, but I dealt with it and once I was dressed, returned to the exam room. I paused upon seeing a short woman, scratching something down on a paper.  
"Sit on the cot," she said briskly without even turning.  
I tentatively sat my clothes on a nearby counter. Was this the doctor? I sincerely hoped so. The thought of dealing with a male doctor made me nervous, especially with a most likely extensive exam. Suddenly, the woman turned toward me, quirking an eyebrow.  
"Can you hear me?"  
"O-oh, uh... yeah..." I mumbled, hurrying over to the cot and sat down. "Sorry..."  
"No need to apologize. I just need to gather all the information I can," she said, sitting on a rolling chair and moving closer. "I'm Dr. Shep and I'll be performing several exams. Let me know if you're uncomfortable."   
"I uh... was under the impression I didn't have a choice," I responded, playing with the hem of my shirt.  
She snorted. "We're cold, not cruel. We won't strap you to a bed and probe you."  
I shifted somewhat, though that did put me at ease.  
"So, have you ever been to see a doctor before?"  
"O-once when I was a baby," I mumbled.  
She glanced up at me before jotting something down. "Any serious illnesses?"  
"No... I've never been sick."  
"Not even a common cold?" she inquired incredulously.  
"No... or... yeah? Just-- never been sick," I sighed, shrinking into myself somewhat.  
"Interesting."

Several dozen more questions and exams later and I was left alone while she went to call someone. The door opening startled me and I looked nervously up at Jenckles.  
"Come with me."  
I willingly followed him and Donahue out. Down several confusing hallways and many locked doors, we finally arrived at a bigger, more open room with only a metal table and two chairs. In one of the chairs was a man wearing an orange jumpsuit with a tag labeled D-02142. I glanced back at my guards. Donahue offered a thumbs up while Jenckles just stared at me until I took a few tentative steps inside.  
"Sit at the table." The intercom in the corner crackled with the demand.  
I flinched at how loud it was but did as I was told and sat in the opposite chair, not pushing it in. We sat silently for a few minutes before the intercome interjected.  
"D-02142. Attack SCP-5023."  
I squinted for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell that meant before whipping my head toward the intercom, then back toward the scraping noise. The man stood up so quickly, his chair went crashing to the ground and suddenly he was brandishing a pocket knife, open and ready. I stumbled as I stood, scraping my chair against the floor.  
"W-wait, you don't h-have to," I sputtered quickly, voice tight.  
The man furrowed his brows and started circling the table, so of course, I started around the other side. My heart pounded in my chest. I came here to not use my abilities on anyone.  
"Please, I'm begging you," I whimpered, constantly changing directions to avoid the much larger man.  
"Ain't nothin' against you, darlin'," he growled, twirling the knife in hand. "It's either you or me, babe and I'm just--"  
Suddenly, he flipped the lightweight table out of the way and rushed toward me. Dipping out of the way, I stumbled to my knees and scrambled up.  
"I-it's been one week since you looked at me, cocked your head to the side and said I'm angry. Five days since you laughed at me, saying get that together, come back and see me."  
The words, although sung in the correct pitch and tempo, were shaky and only when the D-personnel stopped moving, did I. As lyrics spilled from my lips, the large man turned toward the corner where a young girl covered in stab wounds and blood stood, cocking her head to the side quizzically.  
"Daddy?"  
The man's knife clattered to the ground, as did he. He muttered something under his breath, reduced to incoherent whispers and whimpers as he struggled to back away from the young girl.  
"Daddy, why?" she asked, voice gurgling with blood as it spilled out the corners of her mouth. "Why?"  
"Oh god," cried the D-person, tears streaming down his face.  
Muffled screams could be heard and when the door burst open, I shut my mouth, focusing on the heavy artillery shoved in my face as armed guards crossed the room hastily. Jenckles motioned to Donahue, who gathered the prisoner and ushered him out. Backed into the corner, I tried to stop my lip from trembling as I stared at my guard.  
"If you value your life, you won't open your mouth," he warned.  
I nodded, blinking away tears.


	2. 2

2

"Those restraints don't look comfortable," the doctor commented, glancing over the cuffs and muzzle. "I don't think you really need them."  
I perked up somewhat at that, blinking away tears. I didn't resist when they put them on, but now they chaffed horribly. The doctor motioned for Donahue to come over. After taking the muzzle, he unlocked my cuffs.  
"Do you need anything?" the doctor inquired. "Glass of water? Food?"  
I tentatively shook my head, hugging my arms close to me. I quietly thanked my guard, who lightly touched my shoulder on his way back to the wall.  
"They only restrained you because of what happened to the observing researchers. It's protocol. We know you didn't mean them any harm," the doctor explained, writing something down.  
"Okay," I mumbled, glancing away.  
"So, why do you feel like a threat to society?" the researcher inquired, looking at me now.  
"I... don't really want to talk about it," I mumbled tiredly, eyes drooping somewhat.  
"Okay," he said, writing something down. "Can I ask why you don't want to talk about it?"  
I glanced over at him, the memories welling back up to the forefront, causing me to shake. The tightening in my chest made speaking difficult for a long moment.  
"What happened... it's too scary. I'm not ready," I whimpered.  
The doctor paused, watching me curiously.  
"Do you think you'll be ready to talk about it in the future?" he asked, voice softening somewhat.  
"M-Maybe..."  
"Okay... Take your time. So, one of our bigger concerns here at the foundation is how you found out about this site."  
Glancing back at Donahue, who offered a small thumbs up, I shrunk a little into myself.  
"I uh... I pay attention, y'know? I have to, to try to see if there was anyone else like me. I noticed weird stuff happening when I was like, I dunno, fifteen?" I murmured sleepily, leaning back in my chair, eyes downcast. "It wasn't hard to piece together all the events that people somehow forgot about, even though they were pretty important," I snorted, glancing up. "But when other people point them out, others think they're nut-job conspirators."  
"Impressive," the researcher commented, nodding to himself as he jotted my answer down. "And what about the site itself?"  
"Oh... I've been driving around for a week, looking for something suspicious.."  
A snort came from behind me and I knew Donahue was going to hear it from Jenckles later, but for now, it was comforting. The researcher cast him an annoyed glance but continued.  
"So your anomaly... How would you describe it? In your own words?"  
I shrunk more into myself, eyes flickering about the room, avoiding the researched entirely. Shaking, I spoke.  
"Fear. I create my targets greatest fear by uh singing. The hallucination lasts until I stop singing. I uh also know literally, and I mean literally, every song in existence, including uh... interplanetary ones," I mumbled, blinking slowly.  
"Oh? Interesting. Do you think you could make a list of the songs?"  
I had to make eye contact with the doctor to try and determine if he was serious. Every...?  
"That... I would die before I even finished, or before I made it halfway," I grumbled.  
"Fair enough. Could you work on it in your free time, which you'll have a lot of? We just need to confirm your claim," he explained.  
"O-oh... uh yeah, sure..." I agreed, stifling a yawn.

"Well you've answered all my questions," the researcher informed me, offering a small smile. "Any for me?"  
"Oh.. uh... No one's even asked my name," I pointed out, cheeks reddening.  
"Right, right. Should have explained. You will always be referred to as SCP-5023," he started. "It's just the way it happens here. Guards may call you by your name and so may your researchers, however on paper and officially, you're SCP-5023. But why don't you tell me your name?" he offered, looking ready to write something down.  
"B-Baelfire," I told him, spelling it out for him upon seeing his confused expression. "I don't care what I'm called, I was just curious."  
"Sure, sure. Okay, here's what's going to happen: You'll be subjected to certain experiments to ascertain the limits of your abnormalities, okay? These tests may seem dangerous, however, we will try to keep you safe. We hope you won't attack any of our staff save for D personnel when requested. You treat us well and we'll treat you well, yeah?"  
I nodded hesitantly shifting in my seat. "Makes sense..." I responded.  
"Now, you look incredibly tired."  
"Dr. [redacted], that's rude to say to a lady."  
The researched shifted his body to look up at Donahue, all but slamming his pen on the table.  
"Thank you, Donahue," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.  
Stifling a smile, I shrugged.  
"I'm always tired, I guess. I don't get a lot of REM sleep," I told him.  
"Well we could induce--"  
"N-no, please," I interrupted, sitting up suddenly.  
"If you're tired, then you know REM will--"  
"Y-yeah, I know, but... the nightmares uh... they... I'd rather just be tired," I grumbled, letting out an awkward, nervous laugh.  
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the doctor's pen scratching and papers flipping. I slowly glanced at Donahue, who was mimicking the doctor's writing, though with great exaggeration. I pursed my lips in an attempt to stifle a giggle.  
"So, Donahue will take you to your room now. You said you had no allergies? Okay, well you'll receive a menu every day and you can just circle what you want to eat, yeah?"  
"Okay... thank you, DR. [redacted]," I added quickly, standing and scuffling over to my guard.  
Donahue used his key card to open the door, allowing me to exit the room first.  
"I'm glad."  
Donahue popped the visor up and gave me a little smile.  
"That you're nice and haven't tried to kill me or anyone else for that matter. I've dealt with some pretty angry SCPs and I'm glad I was assigned to you."  
I let that sink in and smiled a little in return.  
"Thanks... I have a question, though... Are you and Jenckles...?"  
I didn't even have to finish my thought before a playful smile played on his lips. That was answer enough and I stuffed my hands in my pockets. I was glad he was my guard.  
"You have anyone?" Donahue inquired. "Or did...?"  
I moved closed to him when a group of researchers came down the opposite direction, not allowing for much room. I thought about the question for a moment, as if I actually needed to.  
"Nah, too paranoid I guess," I snorted.  
"About?"  
I quirked an eyebrow up at him. What was with everyone and rhetorical questions today.  
"I think that should be obvious," I finally responded with a shrug. "What if I accidentally killed them or something? Or worse: They find out I was a freak and they, I dunno, did some kind of witch hunt..."  
Another group of researchers came by, this time followed by some guards wrestling and alienish individual. Donahue stood protectively between the supposed other SCP, an arm barring anyone from venturing too close. I shrank somewhat into a corner to help and once they passed, Donahue pats my back and we continued on.  
"You're so protective. I hope Jenckles doesn't get jealous," I teased, walking beside him once again.  
"I mean, I wouldn't be surprised," he chuckled, adjusting the strap holding the gun. "Well, here you are, my dear. Either Jenckles and myself or Samuelson and 9 will be outside this door if you need anything, there's a breach.. or... if you breach," he laughed.  
"...9..."  
"Don't even get me started. Just uh... don't end up alone with him at any point, please."  
The sincerity in his eyes made me realize he was completely serious, so I tentatively agreed, then turned to peer into my apparent new home.  
Furnished with merely a twin bed on a metal frame and a small metal table with two chairs, the walls were padded with soundproof material. Fluorescent lights burned too bright and I saw many a headache in my future.  
"You guys just had a room specified for my containment on hand?" I snorted, slowly stepping inside and glancing around.  
"Nah, our builders just work fast..."  
I turned towards him, who was also taking in the drab room.  
"Just kidding!" he laughed, leaning on the doorway. "We apparently had the room and it didn't take long to finish it. Looks uh... cozy..." he murmured slowly.  
"Yeah... uh... yeah..." I mumbled, crawling onto the bed and under the covers.  
"Nice, nice. Oh look, ya got mail," the man mentioned in a sing-song voice as he plucked a paper out of the box by my door. "Aaand its the lunch menu. Exciting. Well, you need anything, hon?"  
I looked up at the guard, the one clad in heavy, high-grade, military, Black OP armor, carrying a large rifle and at least 6 feet of pure muscle. Also the one that looked at me with an honestly tender look.  
"I'm good, thanks, Donahue."  
"Jack. And you can call Jenckles Hugh," he added, shutting the visor and leaving the room, heavy boots padding unnaturally quietly. "Knock on the door twice if you need us, hon," he said calmly.  
Heavy boots padded loudly down the hall until Hugh came into view.  
"Did you explain everything?" he inquired curtly, not even looking in my direction.  
"Of course, /Hugh/."  
Even with the visor, the annoyance was clear and Hugh simply shook his head.  
"Good night, 5023," Hugh said, sliding his card and closing the door.  
I noticed the hastened wave from Jack and I was left in the eerily silent, too bright room. It didn't take long for me to climb completely under the small blanket. It took a little longer to situate it comfortably, but soon I was in a decent, dark cave.  
"SCP-5023."  
This place was literally covered in intercoms, huh? I begrudgingly poked my head out into the brightness.  
"This is your researcher, Dr. [redacted], one of five. You'll meet the others later so don't worry about that."  
I glanced about until I spotted the anomaly in the wall pattern that looked like a camera. No doubt they didn't have audio.  
"There is no audio feedback because of your anomalous nature, as I'm sure you are aware. We have a scheduled system for lights out, but if you want them off sooner, just tap your door three times. We have night vision video feed, just in case you were wondering."  
I wasn't, but I glanced around the room once more before creating my cave again. Maybe some other time, random doctor guy.


	3. 3

3

"SCP-5023."  
I slowly uncovered my head. They more or less left me be over the past few days. Jack came in once or twice to see how I was doing and ask why I hadn't turned in my menu. Long story short, anxiety. Suddenly, the door opened and footsteps dully thudded into my room. I hadn't much time to take the blanket off my head before I had yet another gun in my face.  
"SCP-5023. Stand," a researcher ordered, too busy writing something to even look at me for a moment.  
"Uh... okay," I mumbled, tentatively doing just that.   
I spotted Jack quickly enough and soon felt reassured.  
"Am I in trouble?" I mumbled carefully, glancing around at the researchers and three guards.  
"Not at all. Follow us please," the much-too-young man said, glancing up, then doing a double take. "Huh... I... hadn't actually seen you yet."  
I squinted at the blond, shifting my weight to the other foot. I'd been there for three whole days; how had he not seen me? Jack caught my attention by fanning himself mockingly. I recognize the other two guards as Hugh and Samuelson and briefly wondered where 9 was until Samuelson moved his gun further toward me.  
"Mm, sorry for the hostility, 5023," the researcher sighed. "I'm doctor Steven [redacted], but you can just call me Steve," the blond added excitedly, seeming much more interested in me now than the paperwork.  
"O-okay... I'm Bae-- 5023... obviously..." I grumbled, voice growing lower and lower.  
"Baelfire! Yeah, yes, that's uh... in your file. It's pretty, but the way. Exotic."  
I furrowed my brow at him, hoping he didn't mean what I thought he meant. Even Jack cocked his head to the side.  
"No, wait..." Steve said suddenly, blue eyes wide. "No uh, not exotic because you're latina, but because its... its just... a cool name," he rambled, pale cheeks reddening.  
"It's fine," I spoke quickly, hoping to put this whole conversation behind us.  
"Right, right. Anyways! Lets head out now, yeah?" the researcher exclaimed, turning and leaving the room.  
Samuelson motioned with his gun and I quietly followed, stuffing chilled hands into my scrub pockets. Jack and Hugh walked together while Samuelson made up the rear.  
"Can you tell me where we're going?" I asked Steven, who had just waved to another group of researchers, all of which ignored him.  
"Hm? Oh uh, no, sorry... It's part of a whole thing, but soon it'll be explained by our head researcher, Doctor [redacted]."  
The first researcher I met. Doctor [redacted], or as he preferred, Henry, was a tall, probably 6 foot brunette with a sly smile and unnerving eyes. The guy had a cliche British accent, too. I had thought briefly about the bad feeling I had deep in my gut about him, but it passed quickly enough. I was never a good judge of character anyways.  
"Right," I mumbled, feeling uneasy again.  
I glanced back at Jack and the others, a questioning look on my face. Jack offered a small thumbs up while Hugh just sighed and only copied the act when nudged in the ribs. I felt the corner of my mouth twitch somewhat in a half smile and I walked forward once more.  
"Heeere we are," Steven said, stopping a little passed an open-doored room, doing a little twirl to face the rest of the group. "Just go on in and take a seat."  
This sounded like another experiment... They did say they'd be doing plenty of those. I started into the room until I saw something that set my belly rolling uneasily. Apparently, I wasn't the only one terrified, as D-02142 fell backward out of his chair and spilling onto the floor. I tried running away, back toward my room, but Samuelson was much faster than I and picked me right off the ground. Even though I kicked and flailed, chest pounding, he heaved my ass into the barely occupied room, roughly dropping me on the ground. I scrambled for the door even after it closed. Curling up by the indent in the wall, I stared wide-eyed at the D-personnel, only to receive basically the same expression.  
"SCP-5023. Sing."  
My eyes flickered towards the intercom but didn't open my mouth.  
"D-02412, attack SCP-5023."  
The large man shook his head. "Nah, you can't pull that shit with me again!" he yelled.  
The intercom went silent. Without warning, the door slid open and I would have come tumbling out if someone hadn't kicked me to the side. Faster than I would have thought possible, a guard b-lined for the inmate and shoved a taser deep against his stomach. The man convulsed with the pain and electricity until his body fell limp in the guard's arms. Only when he turned could I finally see that it was 9 dragging the man out. I started to scramble to my feet and follow, however, I caught Jack shaking his head at me. 9 was quick to shut the door once again, so I found a spot in the far corner of the room. I knew they were only going to send in another person, but why? What was the point if they knew full well what I could do, but... they... didn't know I could kill. They said I'd be doing this and they weren't going to stop until someone died.  
I slumped against the wall and slid until my butt hit the ground. Resting my forehead on my knees, I wrapped my arms around my legs. This... oh I was so right to be fearful of this place... The door opening gave me no reason for fright, however, the nervous scuffling of shoes, did. Only when I lifted my head did my heart start facing and I slowly stood.  
"You don't look so scary."  
Another D-person.. like I thought. This one was scrawny and looked like a creep, a huge tattoo saying 'fucking blessed' wrapped around his neck.  
"They're going to kill you or I will," I stated as calmly as I could.  
I honestly didn't know if the foundation murdered the personnel if they didn't comply with their demands, but it sure sounded scary.  
"If I kill you, you'll suffer in ways you've never imagined," I added upon seeing him move closer."  
"You think I believe you?" he snorted, adjusting his brass knuckles. "I think you're just afraid of dying."  
Eyes flickered over to the camera, lens eerily resembling an eye. These people just won't stop. I returned my attention to the death row inmate. I went from hiding from the world to a dog in a dog fighting ring. Let's just get this over with...  
Lyrics spilled from my mouth. The same song and dance from before. This time, however, no guards interrupted the process and no muffled screams could be heard. The song I sang lasted a little under three minutes. A little under three minutes of the man in front of me writhing on the floor, being repeatedly 'stabbed' by a disturbingly happy clown, who honked his nose after every stab. My song ended and I stood still and silent, staring at the camera.  
"Continue."  
Begrudgingly, I did so. The experiment was harmless, mostly, for the first 3 hours. I'd never subjected anyone to this hell for more than a minute. The longer it went on, the sicker I felt and the more tired I became. Finally, it happened. I knew it would eventually, I just hadn't known how long it would be. The stabbings had looked so real save for the lack of blood. The blood came without warning, pooling around the two of them so fast. Even the clown's bright white outfit stained red, but even when the man stopped screaming and writhing, the clown kept stabbing.  
"Stop,"  
I shut my mouth and the clown disappeared immediately.  
"Doctor [redacted] is coming in."  
Just as they said, Steve was in the doorway when the door opened, but I stayed in my corner, arms wrapped tightly around myself.  
"Oh... hh.."  
The young researcher looked queasy when he laid his eyes on the deceased.  
"I hadn't... oh..."  
When prompted, 9 and Samuelson carried the body out, passed Steve, who scurried out of the way.  
"Just uh... just a few questions..." he mumbled, pointedly staring at the large mass of blood.  
"Sure... why not..." I grumbled tiredly, leaning my head back against the wall.  
"Well, that was my first question: Are you fatigued? Aaand the answer is yes... could you have continued singing?"  
I shrugged. "Probably..." My voice was so hoarse.  
"Were you purposefully trying to kill him?"  
"No," I snapped. "I just wanted him to stay away from me."  
"Right... Do you think if you had the intent to kill it would take less time?" he asked, glancing up at me.  
"I..." I moved my gaze toward the dark red pool, edges already drying up. "I don't know..."  
"Okay..." Stephen mumbled, writing something quickly. "One more. What did you see killing him?"

"How are you feeling?"  
I blinked tiredly up at Jack. Without his helmet, long blond hair fell around his shoulders and semi-pointed ears were obvious. He truly was pretty. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be here, brushing my hair, but it calmed fried nerves.  
"I don't know..."  
"Yeah... I'm sorry hun. I wish I could say it's over, but I've seen your file-- They've quite a few more tests," he sighed, taking a break from brushing to rub my back.  
I slumped my shoulders, thoughts racing through my mind. Dizzy, I felt my body sway and Jack laid me down on the bed.  
"Did I do the right thing?"  
The question clearly caught him off guard, as he took several minutes to answer.  
"I don't know, hon... But as long as you do as they ask, they'll eventually leave you alone," he murmured softly, rubbing my arm.  
"Eventually..."  
A pat on my arm made me feel the conversation was over, so I crawled under my blanket as Jack left, taking his helmet with him.  
"Oh, before I go," Jack said quickly, twirling back around. "Hugh and I are... we won't be on shift tonight like usual," he said slowly. "And Samuelson... well he's gotta sleep sometime soon," he laughed awkwardly. "So it's just..."  
"9..." I grumbled. "I'll be careful."  
"I know you will, hun."  
I heard the door close and I was left alone in an uncomfortable silence. The image of the pool of blood made falling asleep all the harder. I killed another person in a two week period. The fact that the D personnel was probably a really horrible person made the bad feelings dissipate momentarily. After what felt like forever, heavy eyes closed.  
When I was younger, my older cousin would stay over once in a while. My aunt had a lot of boyfriends over a short period of time, which according to my mom, meant she needed free time. I try not to think about it too much. Anyways, I remember when I'd be sleeping and even then, I'd feel an overwhelming sense of fear and I'd wake to my cousin looming over me in the dead of night.  
So, of course, having such a familiar feeling drove my heart rate through the roof. I tentatively opened my eyes and was met with pure darkness save for the small red dot by the camera. Still, there was something there with me in the room. A shuffle of cloth and I felt something on my hip.  
We sat in silence like that for what felt like hours until whoever it was stood and left the room. The familiar thudding of muted boots on soundproof material told me who it was and I instinctively crawled under my bed dragging my blanket with me.


	4. 4

Chapter 4

 

Day 4.

Another man dead. It took the whole day only because they spaced the singing to every other hour. Apparently, they last longer if we take breaks... Fantastic. Jack was sympathetic towards me at the end of the day when I went silent and grumpy.

 

Day 5.

They spiced up my day with a woman convict this time. I could only guess what they thought this would change. This time they told me what she'd done to wind up on death row: the woman not only went on a killing spree for teenagers, she killed her own two kids as well. When asked why I was told 'because teenagers piss her off'. When I asked why they told me at all, they revealed that they wanted me to sing with murderous intent. Although begrudgingly, she died in 5 minutes. Her fear was being blown to pieces, a small round explosive being shoved in her pants by a supposedly random teenager. Halfway through my second song, the bomb went from fizzing out to blowing her apart, spreading bodily scraps all over the room and myself. When the researcher, Dr. Celia [redacted], entered, I turned toward her.

"Please..." I whimpered, body shaking, dripping with bodily material. "Please..." I couldn't even speak more than that.

"Hm? Use your words, you're not a child," Celia sighed, taking care to step on a clean portion of the floor.

"Doctor--"

Jack started to speak until she held up one long finger ending in a bright red, pointy press on nail. I felt a wave of deep anger and frustration well up in my chest. I could do a hell of a lot more than speak and wouldn't it be so sweet, but Hugh and Jack were here, too, and they didn't deserve that horror.

"I'm done."

"I see that."

"No. I'm done with these stupid, senseless experiments," I snapped, taking a step forward with each enunciated word.

This caught the researcher's attention, backing up into a puddle of blood. She didn't even bother to look down even with all the blood pooling between her toes. I guess open-toed heels weren't the best shoes to wear at the foundation. Then again, she didn't seem as bothered about the blood than she did my advancement.

"I-I..." She glanced over at Jack as if hoping he'd come to her rescue. When this didn't seem to be the case, she turned back to me. "I have t-to uh... Henry..."

"I don't care," I grumbled tiredly. "Can I go back to my room now?"

She nervously nodded. Hugh and Hack followed closely behind me, both silent. I felt sick and tired, but angry and alive. I didn't know if Henry had any interest in stopping the experiments, but I wanted to prove I wasn't a pushover anymore. Whispered words caught my attention and I contemplated asking Jack if that was the right move.

"Bael?"

"Mm?" I hummed.

Jack came up to walk by my side now.

"That was uh..."

"They're going to kill me, aren't they?" I sighed.

"No, no, hon... I was going to say inspiring," he answered quickly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him glance back at Hugh. "Just unlike you... Are you sure you're okay?"

"I... just had a person explode all over me," I mumbled, shoulders slumping somewhat.

"And you haven't eaten," he pointed out carefully as if by mentioning it I would immediately shut down.

"Yeah," I sighed, looking up at him finally, shoving my hands in my pockets. 

"I'll get you something tonight, but you have to eat it, yeah?" he offered, patting my back.

"Yeah, yeah, mooom," I snorted, entering my room without a fuss.

"Hey, I hadn't had a chance to ask," Jack started, leaning against the doorway. "How'd it go with 9 the other night?"

I paused in the midst of grabbing my robe for the shower. How do I answer? I mean... I could fool myself into pretending I didn't know it was 9 who had come in that night... I wanted to tell Jack, but what was the likelihood I'd be left alone with him again?

"It went fine. Nothing out of the ordinary," I lied, looking back at him.

Jack stared at me for a moment, before nodding and standing up straight.

"Okay... well, it'll just be you and him again tonight, but you'll be fine."

My body stiffened of its own accord and I forcibly relaxed before he could notice.

"Uh... is... isn't there always a researcher, like ya know, watching?"

"Well of course," he laughed. "Not sure who it is tonight though."

"That's fine," I mumbled, actually feeling more relaxed. Even one more person is better than just 9 and me all night.

"Hey. You sure you're okay, Bael?" he asked softly. "I can stay on tonight if you want to..."

"No, no.... enjoy your time with Hugh," I waved off, offering a small smile. "I uh... gotta go shower now. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course. Sleep well! Oh, geez. Hugh? Yeah, thanks."

Out of sight, Hugh handed Jack something, which he then placed on my table. Crackers...?

"It's not much, but its crackers and cheese dip! I hope you eat it all."

Since I was close enough, he was able to reach over and bop me on the nose. I rubbed it, offering a playful scowl as he left, closing the door behind.

 

The shower was nice but long. It took forever to scrub off the dried liquids and other organic material, plus I just wanted to sit in the warmth and steam. I dressed in the extra set of scrubs kept in the bathroom and tossed the soiled ones into a chute leading... well I didn't know where. I did a test once where I poked a hole in the bottom of my scrub top, but I never had the same scrubs returned so they probably burned every pair. So wasteful...

My warm, steamy comfort didn't last long. My room was always so chilly. Wrapping my robe tighter around myself to try and retain some of the warmth, I rushed to my bed but then paused. Lights out wasn't for another hour or two, but why not call an early night? I backtracked and stopped at the door. 9 was on the other side of this door, this thick, steel cold door. Maybe knocking on the door was tempting the beast. No... it's okay. There's a researcher nearby to... hopefully prevent anything weird. I took a chance and knocked on the door three times. Without waiting for a verbal response, I raced toward my bed, grabbing the crackers, then hopped my ass into bed and curled up under the blankets. One nibble of a cracker was all it took me to convince me to down the whole package, as small as it was. Still feeling hungry, I contemplated filling out the menu until the lights clicked off. Of course, I could try to do it in the dark, but my eyesight wasn't that great. Oh well, maybe I'd have time to order dinner.

 

Screaming started my awake. It took me a few moments to realize it wasn't from anything but my mind. The beginning of a dream? Or the end of one... Either way, I was okay now, as safe as I could be at a Foundation Site. A shuffle of cloth from behind and my heart stopped. Either I was facing the wall, or the camera wasn't on as I couldn't find the little red light.

"You don't matter."

The low voice whispered so close to my ear that I felt hot breath on my skin. What do I do? I knew it was 9, an armed guard more than capable of breaking me in two if I made a wrong move. I spent my whole life being told I was lower than garbage, so whatever they were trying, I would survive.

"I bet..." He sighed, dragging a hand across my cheek and pulling my hair back behind my ear. "I bet you heard that a lot, growing up." 

I furrowed my eyebrows somewhat. This isn't where I thought this was going.

"That must have been hard, hmm?"

His words sounded so tender out of anyone else's mouth, but from him, there was another underlying emotion, something I couldn't pinpoint yet. Either way, it wasn't something I felt comfortable exploring. His hand continued to brush against my cheek as he spoke.

"This place... It'll make you a star. Is that truly what you think? Hm?" he inquired softly.

His hand moved deliberately down, across my lips, dipping under my chin to rest on my throat. 9 rested his arm over my body in order to reach the spot, the weight bearing down a little harder, pinning me to the spot.

"No... you don't want to be a star. You want to be a nobody, blend in and live out the rest of your days in solitude. You'll disappear."

After tracing a few small circles on my throat, the hand and weight of his arm disappeared and I felt a moment of relief. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. The weight had moved to the top of my spine, right above the back of my collar.

"You want to disappear, right?" he asked in a hushed voice, slowly dragging one finger down my back, right over my spine. "I can help with that, 5023. I'll help make you disappear, but first..." His hand dipped under my covers, stopping at the waistband of my pants. "You'll be my star."

Without warning, 9 stood quickly, removing his hand. I heard him put his helmet back on and adjust something of cloth. Only when the door shut behind him did I let out a choked sob.

 

The lights turned on, but I couldn't move. A researcher came in to collect my menu, but I couldn't move. Jake came in and said something, but I couldn't move. Finally, someone laid a hand on my arm and I flinched.

"Baelfire?"

I finally looked up to see Jack, visor up, looking down at me with clear concern.

"Oh, hun... why're you crying?"

I hadn't even realized I was... Jake knelt down and carefully wiped my face.

"What's the hold up?" a researcher, probably Celia, snapped.

"She needs a minute," Jack growled. "Sorry, but she needs a minute."

He turned back to me. "Was it 9?"


	5. 5

Chapter 5

"This cannot be happening," Jack practically growled, arms crossed over his chest, fingers drumming on his bicep. "That sick..."

"Jack..." I mumbled. 

I appreciated the protectiveness, but I was too tired to keep up with him right then.

"I know, I'm sorry, Bael..." he sighed, halting the drumming.

"It's okay. I just... want to get this over with..."

Jack seemed like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue. I glanced around the room the first time I'd been here. Exam room 2B was exactly the same, down to the approximate number of pamphlets. Having been up most of the night, my eyes burned if I kept them open too long, so I sat, head down, eyes closed. Knowing it was just Jack in the room made me feel safe, so I jerked somewhat when the door opened, forcing my eyes open.

"Good morning, 5023," Dr. Shep greeted, setting a clipboard on her desk. "Donahue."

Jack nodded in response, apparently still too pissed to even speak.

"Today is just your first weekly physical. The longer you're here, the less frequent you'll need these, especially if you haven't been involved in an experiment in a while," she explained, looking at me patiently.

"Ok..." I responded quietly.

Dr. Shep proceeded with the exam, jotting things down on her papers every now and again. Instead of having Jack leave the room, I told him he could turn around when I had to disrobe. Once the exam was over, Dr. Shep turned to face me, clearly thinking something over carefully.

"I... want to prescribe you some anti-depressants, 5023," she said slowly, pointedly.

I stared at her silently for a solid minute. I'd never been on medication before, let alone something like anti-depressants. I hesitated, taking a moment to seriously consider. Was I depressed? Probably...

"Don't uh... don't they sometimes make people more depressed?" I inquired slowly, glancing up at her.

"Sometimes, though that depends entirely on the person and the medication," she answered. "Fluoxetine is a good place to start with a low dose. There's a therapist who deals with humanoid SCPs that you can speak to if you'd like."

This situation felt so weird. My mom never went for something like therapy. I wasn't even allowed to talk to the counselor at school. In hindsight, she was probably afraid I'd tell them about the emotional abuse.

"I... can think about it? Both of them?" I mumbled, shifting on the cot.

"Of course. Take the week, okay?"

Dr. Shep stood, gathering her paperwork. Jack opened the door and she left, however, Dr. Henry entered, taking a seat at the desk, though he turned it to face me.

"Good morning, SCP-5023," he greeted, offering a toothy smile. "How are you feeling?"

I watched him wearily. "Fine."

"Mm, yes. I imagine last night was scary, hm?"

Was he serious? Scary? I tucked my arms deep into each other hugging myself tightly. I could tell this conversation wasn't going to end well.

"So, here's the thing... I looked into the report you wrote for Donahue and it does sound like quite a terrifying encounter... but... it wasn't real."

I snapped my head up to look at him. Bullshit...

"I know, trust me, but I personally reviewed the security footage from last night. 9 never left his post, outside your door. Now, I'm not saying you are lying, we take these claims very seriously," he added, crossing one leg over the other and fixing his pant leg to cover his ankle. "However, we saw you on the video and you definitely seemed like you were having night terrors. You were shaking and crying and jerking around in your sleep."

For a moment he actually sounded concerned and I had to think if he was telling the truth. Had it really all just been a nightmare? I glanced over at Jack, who had put his visor down sometime earlier.

"Okay..."

"I know you must be tired. Night terrors can leave you exhausted like you'd been awake all night..." he told me. "And DR. [redacted]... she told me what you said to her," he added. "Thankfully for you, a new SCP came in that my team has been assigned to, so you'll be left on your own for some time."

I glanced up at him. This was just about the only good news that could come about today.

"Is there anything you'd like to request before I go, 5023?"

I only shook my head wanting nothing more than for him to go.

"Okay. I'll check on you whenever I have a moment," Henry stated, standing. "Have a good day, 5023. Make sure to eat something," he added before turning and heading out.  
I slowly turned toward Jack, who raised his visor once the researcher was gone.

"I..." He let out a seemingly cleansing sigh, shrugging something off. "I'm supposed to take you back to your room, but how about we stop by a vending machine and grab some sweets?" he offered, holding out a hand to help me off the raised cot.

"Uh... yeah, okay," I mumbled, accepting his hand. "Where's Hugh?"

"Receiving a new SCP," he answered wistfully. "He does a lot of that."

"Sounds stressful," I commented.

So much of this conversation was in one ear, out the other. I wasn't sure how to feel about 9, but I felt cold and I needed a distraction.

"Yeah... I worry about him, but he's a big boy and I know he can handle himself," he added proudly. "But still, new SCPs are, well, new and ya never know."

I cast my gaze down. I couldn't imagine dealing with something so intense all the time. Jack and Hugh really took a chance on me in the yard that day and I appreciated how kind they'd been to me this whole time.

"Do you... think you'll ever leave?" I asked suddenly, looking up at him now.

Jack let out a deep sigh. "When... when people quit, the Foundation erases their memory. I don't think I can take the chance that I'll forget Hugh forever," he answered, offering me a small, somber smile.

I nodded in response. Forgetting the person you're in love with... It sounded horrible, especially if you could've prevented it. We arrived shortly at the vending machine where he asked what I was interested in. Shifting in my spot, I looked over the food. A lot of it was sweets.

"Doesn't matter to me," I finally answered.

"Oh? It... okaaay."

Jack proceeded to buy a couple of things and hand them to me to hold. I thought maybe he was done, but then he added more money and continued to pile food into my arms. He finished by buying 4 cans of soda and offering me a sheepish grin.

"I binge when Hugh's doing stressful stuff, sue me."

I shrugged. "I don't blame you," I snorted.

 

We sat mostly in silence as we ate. I took it slow, hoping not to overwhelm my stomach after not eating for a week.

"Will I ever see any other SCPs, and like not just in the hallway?" I inquired, looking up at him from across the small table.

"Hmm... as a deadly SCP-- I don't mean you intend harm, but the fact that you can cause death," he added quickly upon seeing my squinted look. "I'd say yes," he answered.

I squinted even harder.

"Why..?"

He hesitated more at that, as if realizing he'd opened a can of worms. He took a bite of a fudge bar, contemplating his next words carefully.

"You know you're not done testing." I shifted. "And we have very violent and supposedly immortal SCPs. The foundation is undoubtedly going to use to try to kill them since you are a somewhat new way to kill."

"What if it doesn't work and they kill me instead?" I asked after a minute or two.

The way his brows upturned made me swallow hard, casting my gaze down. So the prognosis for my survival here wasn't all that great... wonderful.

"I know its nerve wracking, Bael... I'm on your side and so is Hugh. We are /you/ guards. Not only do we guard against you, but we also protect you..." he said softly, reaching across the table to gingerly touch my hand.

"You sure are invested in someone you barely know," I responded, trying to sound playful and keep it light but the words caught in my throat.

He offered a small, apologetic smile and nodded.

"You remind me a lot of my little sister."

I glanced him over. "Your sister is Hispanic, too?"

He laughed loudly. "No, no," Jack chuckled, taking his hand back. "She's quiet and keeps to herself... but she has the same eyes as you, too."

I blinked. Heterochromia is so rare that knowing two people that have it personally was incredible."

"The same side?"

"Blue on the left, brown on the right," the guard confirmed.

"Wow..."

Suddenly the door opened and there stood Steve. He seemed a little relieved when he laid eyes on Jack.

"I-I didn't see a guard by the door and was uh... concerned," he admitted.

"We were throwing a pity party," Jack teased. 

"I thought you guys were dealing with a new SCP," I piped up.

"Oh uh, yeah. I picked the short straw, Somebody has to be here to watch you in case something new develops-- I didn't mean that negatively, I just... should stop talking," he mumbled, using the clipboard to cover a reddening face.

"No, no, I get it, you wanted to see the new, hopefully, interesting SCP," I teased, sipping my coke.

He stuttered for another few seconds before just sighing and giving up.

"Did you need something, doctor?" Jack inquired, clearly enjoying this.

"Right, yes!" Grateful for a break in the humility, he came over and placed a book on the table. "I uh... Don't know if you read much, but I figured it was better than sitting in here all day, doing nothing?"

I tentatively picked up the book. Deep Secrets of the Well by Sam Liskin. I glanced up at him, admittedly a little interested already. I enjoyed reading mysteries and thriller, especially if horror was somehow laced into i.

"This is kind of you, Steve," I told him quietly after skimming the back of the book. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, no problem," he responded, grinning, relieved. "I heard Jenckles was on the new SCP? I hope that doesn't keep you two apart," he commented.

"Gee, thanks. /Did/ say we were having a pity party," Jack sighed.

"Oh... sorry... w-well, he has a very good record. You'll be okay!" he tried, offering a thumbs up. "Anyways, have a good night, 5023, and I'll check in on you tomorrow."

"Okay... thanks again, Steve."

He tipped his head toward me and started out, but then almost tripped over his own feet to prevent himself from leaving.

"Almost forgot this. I can't prevent lights out, but I can give you a flashlight."

With that, he handed me a simple, medium-sized flashlight. I thanked him again and watched the young researcher leave, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Honestly, I would not be surprised if he put the moves on you."

I slowly turned to look at Jack. "I think he just did," I snorted, downing the last of my drink.


	6. 6

Chapter 6

The following week went by quietly and without much trouble. Jack /had/ said that eventually, the time would come where the researchers would tire of me and move on. I just didn't think it would happen so quickly. It only took one night to finish reading the horror-mystery, so Steve brought me two more this time. By the next day, I'd finished those, too.

"Wow, you read pretty fast."

I glanced over. Having been reading, I didn't even notice the young man entering.

"Yeah... books are my weakness," I snorted. "Give me a minute? I'm on the last page."

"Of course, of course," he said, taking a seat across from me.

Once I was finished, I set the book on the table.

"So, what did ya think?" he inquired, clearly excited. 

"It was good," I answered. "Maybe a little played when it came to the reason behind the murders."

"True," he agreed with a sigh. "But it worked. What'd you think of the grandmother?"

A shudder was all the answer he needed to send him laughing.

"I was suspicious of her in the beginning, but oh my god..." I shuddered once again, settling back in my chair.

I glanced over the young researcher, deep in thought. He had a life before all this and I had to wonder about it. 

"Oh, I brought you another book since you hoovered the other two. Its a lot thicker," he piped up after getting over his fit.

He set it on the table, but paused, apparently noticing something.

"W-what...? Why are you staring?" he sputtered.

"Oh... sorry," I mumbled, letting my gaze dance around the room while I tried to figure out what I wanted to say before landing on him again. "I just... why're you here?"

He didn't seem any less surprised and took a moment to ponder the question, being a vague one.

"Why not?"

Now it was my turn to take a pause, but then I laughed. Touche.

"If you're asking why I'm at the Foundation." he snickered, "I was recruited out of college."

"Impressive? Or desperate?" I teased, crossing one leg over the other.

"Oh god, I hope they were impressed with my scores," he responded, suddenly looking mortified. I didn't think of the desperate part..."

I only shook my head, glancing up as a group of guards walked by my open door. Not a one turned their head to check on us.

"What about your family?"

Steve shrugged, for the first time looking somewhat somber, gaze lowered to his hands that fidgeted nervously with his lab coat. I personally didn't like talking about my own family, so I hoped I hadn't pushed my luck.

"Parents?" I inquired softly.

"Car crash," he mumbled, shrugging again. "While I was in college."

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Nah, I don't... I don't really understand condolences... I just never did," he snorted. "Thanks though."

The topic of dead parents... It was a harsh thing and I couldn't believe I was the one to bring it up. A lofty silence weighed over as I mindlessly thumbed through the new ook. Of course, I didn't actually retain anything, I just wanted to occupy my hands. I finally glanced up and met Steve's gaze. A big mistake. I felt a big twinge in my heart and let out a sigh.

"You never told anyone why exactly you came here," Steve pointed out slowly, watching me carefully.

"Yeah..." I mumbled with an uncomfortable shift in my chair, casting my gaze to the side. "It's hard to talk about."

"I don't think it'd be an easy topic for any scp. So many of you guys come in off the basis of death," he responded without missing a beat. "I don't think anyone here could or would judge you."

I finally met his gaze, which was gentle and reassuring. I cleared the block from my throat, happy there was at least one researcher not pressuring me for my entire life story.

"Thanks, Steve... but I might need to save that story for another day. The memory is too fresh," I replied lowly, offering an awkward smile.

"It's no problem, Bael," he said with a wide, almost goofy smile.

I couldn't help myself.

"So, Steve... I never got to question anyone about gossip in high school," I started, leaning back in my chair casually. "Who's the prettiest girl on campus?"

The question clearly caught him off guard, pale face warming up visibly.

"I-I don't really have the t-time to uh pay too much attention to-- ugh why that question of all questions..." he playfully whined, covering his face.

I laughed, a hand moving to my belly. This was the kind of thing I missed out on in my youth: someone to comfortably play with.

"Its the juiciest gossip," I snickered, pushing some hair from my face once my fit subsided. "There has to be someone you're interested in!"

"Well /yeah/, but it--I-- the cameras on," he hissed in a whisper.

"Oh my word, do you really think whoever is in there cares? They can't even hear us, remember?" I teased.

"Okay, okay, good point..." he breathed, trying to calm his face. "I... one of the researchers on your team is..."

"Wait, on my team? If you're talking about that Celia chick," I grumbled.

"Oh, no, no, no," he quickly reassured me. "No way," he shuddered. "She scares me."

"Eh... she's just annoying," I murmured. "You were saying?"

"Hh, right... She... not Celia, but uh... her name is Francesca," he finally came out bashfully, playing with his SCP ID card, face locked down.

"That's a pretty name," I commented encouragingly with a playful nudge to his foot.

"Yeah, it really is," he gushed. "She's kind, but can handle herself against troublesome SCPs," he added. "She's constantly impressing me around every corner."

"Do you think she likes you?"

"As a friend, yeah," he sighed. "I think a lot of people around here only see me as an annoying kid because I still get excited about nerdy things," he murmured. "In this kind of place its such a disadvantage to only be seen as young..."

"Well, you are kinda young," I pointed out. "But you can't help that. The Foundation chose you for your obvious capabilities," I added, reaching over and patting his knee. "You clearly have something good in you."

The young researcher looked up with an appreciative smile.

"You're too good to me."

"True," I admitted, leaning back in my chair. "But maybe I'm just buttering you up for if I decide to escape."

He laughed loudly. "You worked so hard to get here and you wanna leave now?" he snorted. 

"Who knows! This place..." I didn't mean to turn so somber suddenly. "I'm getting the feeling its dirtier than I thought."

After a small silence, Steve responded with a very small, soft voice.

"I heard what happened with 9..."

"I'm not surprised," I snorted. "I don't know... maybe it /was/ all... fake."

"Just because it was a night terror doesn't mean it wasn't real," Steve interjected quickly. "Don't doubt yourself."

Something in his voice made me pause, but then Jack slipped into the room.

"You're needed in Research Room 42C," he informed the young man.

"Ah... all right," he said, standing and adjusting his lab coat. "I can't wait to hear what you think of the book," he added happily, before offering a wave and slipping out.

"He sure did leave in a hurry," I grumbled, stretching my legs out.

"Newer researchers don't actually get called to the Research Rooms often," Jack responded. "They usually do the grunt work of sitting and watching SCPs all day. No offense."

I playfully rolled my eyes. I guess it would get boring watching someone like me all day. I had to wonder if he was also on the new SCP team. Lucky bastard.

"You guys are pretty chummy," the guard commented, taking the seat at the table. "It's good to get along with your team."

"Yeah... he's a good guy," I agreed. "I still haven't meant two of them."

"Right. Doctor Francesca and Doctor Daniel," he confirmed. "I know Henry seems like an ass, but its better than having someone nuts like Dr. Clef," he snorted. "He's apparently making Hugh's life hell right now with his crazy experiments."

"Poor Hugh... Have you had much time with him?"

"No," he fake sobbed. "But this just happens sometimes... Sometimes all I get when I sleep is a shirt he wore the day before."

"Does that... help you feel better?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Helps me sleep better, honey," he laughed. "Something about it makes me feel safe."

I glanced over the muscular, tall man and had to take his word for it. I lowered my gaze somewhat. I had to wonder if I'd ever experience the same level of devotion as Hugh and Jack. 

"It'll all be okay," Jack said suddenly. "I also got you something to tide you over until dinner."

"After digging around through various pockets on his tactical vest, he pulled out a dark chocolate granola bar and I gratefully accepted it.

"Thanks," I responded with a smile. "You've been a great help."

"I do my best," he laughed. "I get to see Hugh for a little bit on shift change," he added in a sing-song voice. "Since he's with you tonight."

A wave of relief washed over me. I was definitely still struggling with the whole 9 experience, but having one more night to think it over was better than nothing. Plus, what Steve said... maybe it was dangerous to ask him about it, but if there was a chance its real, I need to know. Jack stood and adjusted his gun.

"One day at a time."

 

Three nights later and I woke up, disoriented with a mile headache. How long had I been asleep? I thought I was only going to take a nap, but maybe I actually managed some actual sleep. Legs a little wobbly, I stumbled across my small, dark room to the bathroom, grabbing a drink from the sink. A little bit, but I actually just wanted to fall asleep again. I'm not sure what happened, but being able to sleep so soundly was a relief.

As I was leaving the bathroom, a small noise gave me cause to pause. Oh...

"You've been asleep for so long," came a soft voice from my bed. "I was actually surprised when I came in and you were gone."

It was almost painful how hard my heart was beating. Why? The cot creaked and I heard the familiar noise of muffled boots and I tried to back away only to immediately hit the bathroom door.

"Did you miss me?"

His face was so close to mine that I could feel his breath against the door, body shaking.

"You're not real."

A moment of silence.

"Oh?" he practically purred, putting a hand on the door near my head. "You truly think the good doctor is being truthful?"

I clenched my teeth.

"Shut up... This is just in my head. No way I'd be able to sleep so soundly. You're just a nightmare," I murmured shakily. "Just a nightmare."

I didn't need lights to know how incredibly close he was now. I shut my eyes tight and suddenly the presence was gone. I didn't open my eyes again until I heard him leave and I slumped down to the floor. Please... just wake me up.


	7. 7

Chapter 7

I jumped somewhat to see Dr. Henry sitting at my table as I came out of my bathroom. Hair still quite wet, I slowly rubbed with a towel, watching him with uncertainty.

"Good morning," I finally greeted.

"And a good morning to you," Henry responded with his classic smile, crossing one leg over the other. "Have a good shower?"

"Yeah..."

I tentatively sat down across from him, letting the towel drape around my neck. Today was supposed to be a pretty decent day and the decent meter was draining every minute he was in my presence. I still didn't trust him, especially about 9.

"I hope you enjoy some time outside today," he started. "I thought some vitamin D might do you good."

"That's uh... considerate of you," I said quietly. "I appreciate the chance to stretch my legs."

"Good, good! Now, I'm allowing you this courtesy because you have not had a single incident." The doctor leaned in heavily. "Don't make me regret my decision."

Instinctively, I moved back somewhat.

"I put myself here for a reason," I said lowly. "Don't think so little of me."

The researcher leaned back in his chair, hopefully satisfied with my response.

"Well, have fun!" he happily spouted, standing and pushing the chair in.

All these sudden headaches were making my head spin. Damn this staff. Jack peaked in the room once the head researcher was well gone.

"Well that was... uncomfortable," he mumbled lowly. "You okay?"

"Yeah... I think I'm slowly figuring out how to deal with him," I sighed, wiping my face with the towel. "I'm not gunna let him run today."

"Oh! I'm happy you're in such a good mood!" he laughed, leaning against the doorway.

"Me, too. It'll make my day all the easier," came a tired voice from the hallway.

I had to admit, I was impressed Jack didn't full out scream in joy when he turned around to see Hugh in his tactical gear. He did, however, let out a choked squeak, bringing a hand up to his helmet, where his mouth was.

"Hugh?" I questioned. "Didn't you just have guard duty last night?" This guy was gunna pass out...

"Yeah, but Dr. Henry wants e back on your team so I figured today was a good day to start," he responded, repressing a yawn.

"Reeeally?" Jack sang.

"Really," he repeated, playfully patting his partner's back. "Are you almost ready for your appointment?"

"Yeah, let me just brush my hair and put on my shoes," I murmured.

It was hard not to be happy for my new found friend. This day's decency level was starting to rise once more. Once dressed, I ran a brush through my hair maybe a little too quickly, but that said, whatever daylight I had left after my weekly appointment, I'd get to spend outside. I wasn't willing to waste anymore time.

"Your hairs bound to fall out if you always brush that hard," Jack teased, closing the door behind us as we entered the hallway.

"I'm just ready to get outside for a bit, at least a couple minutes," I responded with a shrug, tucking my hands deep in my scrub pockets. "I never went out much if I truly didn't have to, but boy did I take it for granted."

Jack ruffled my hair as we started down the hall and I begrudgingly fixed what I could.

"So hows the newest book steve brought you?" Hugh inquired. "You've burned through quite a few so quickly."

"Yeah, it's pretty good. Steve has interesting books, but he's letting me reread them. Sometimes I read too fast and don't retain everything." I laughed. "Plus I just like to make sure I got everything."

"I bet you finished all your English projects a day or two after you get them," Jack snickered.

"Nah. I didn't actually try in school," I admitted. "I just didn't care."

"Aw... Dr. Henry might try to make you retake your tests if he learns you didn't make an effort," the blonde pointed out.

"Ugh... Don't tell anyone, but I actually did make an effort," I sighed. "Don't ask me why."

"I've seen your scores," Hugh commented. "They're pretty good."

"They are!" 

We all turned around to see Steve casually walking behind us. He grinned and gave a playful wave.

"Sup!"

"You're so quiet," I murmured. "When'd you start following us?"

"Only about a minute or two ago," he admitted. "I was headed for your room to give you a new book when I heard you leaving."

"A new one? Cool."

I accepted the new book and skimmed the back. Another murder-mystery.

"Looks interesting! Thank you."

Moving over a little, Steve slipped up to walk next to me and Hugh. I glanced around the empty, emotionless hallways, wondering how people manage to find their way around them.

"So d'you think you'll read /all / the books in one day?" Steve teased.

"Well maybe if you brought me an encyclopedia, it might take me longer," I snorted playfully, nudging him.

"Woah would you really--"

"Hell yeah! I'm down for reading whatever's thrown my way!" I exclaimed, actually feeling excited.

"Steve all but lost it.

"You are so on! I'm gunna time you!" he laughed. "Oh, oh!" He bounced his way to the front of the group, twirling around the face us while walking backward. "I actually got to go to the Research room! It was magical!" he wistfully sighed.

I worried briefly about him bumping into something, hopefully not an SCP, but then I noticed we hadn't run into anyone at all. Maybe some site-wide meeting was going on?

"Magical, huh? Man, you really are a nerd," I replied.

"Hey! As true as that is--"

Some static from my guards' radio made us both stop talking. The message was so distorted that Jack unhooked his walkie and hit it a few times.

"This hallway has the worst reception," Hugh told me. "I can't imagine its anything too concerning or they would have played it over the speakers."

I nodded quietly but jumped when barely audible gunshots sounded out. Steve, too, looked a little nervous and even scooched a little closer to the group. Jack tried his radio again and when it came to no avail, he shook his head towards Hugh.

"Like I said, with no overhead announcements we are to continue on as normal," Hugh stated. "Don't be so worried," he told me, flipping his visor up to flash me a rare smile.

Wow, maybe there was actually something to Jack saying he felt safe around Hugh, even just with Hugh's shirt. Steve playfully smacked my shoulder.

"We're gunna be fine!" he reassured. "We have two of the top foundation guards with us!"

"Are you trying to reassure me or yourself?" I winked.

Steve hopped backward. "N-no!"

The young researcher disappeared around a corner and Jack's radio crackled once again.

"You're awfully quiet," I murmured to him as I, too rounded the corner.

If I hadn't turned to face forward, I'm sure my life would have ended then and there. It's hard to explain exactly what happened, but I'll do my best. The first thing I saw was Steve, on the floor, skin grey and body unmoving. I focused and unwillingly unfocused my eyes, my belly twisting and churning. It was absolutely refusing to accept the fact he was dead. It took a sharp hot pain in my arm to snap out of it.

When I finally looked up, a tall dark figure was knelt down by Steve's body, checking him over. A doctor? No. The aura this guy gave off was one of power and superiority. This... thing... it filled my body with dread and I went cold. Oh.. I couldn't move.

"Bael! Get behind us!" Jack shouted, reaching for me.

 

"Bael? Oh."

The creature stood, lifting his head so I could see the sharp ended plague doctor mask. No, not a mask. It seemed as though the bright white material was seamlessly attached to his head which adorned a weird, almost leather hat. A disturbing smell emanated from the other SCP and my survival instincts kicked in.

"Hey miss murder, can I? Hey miss murder, can I? Make beauty stay if I take my life?" 

The SCP barely stuttered when I started singing. Even a group of guards were shooting at him from down the hall, but they barely tickled him. I couldn't help but back up, opening my arms so Hugh and Jack couldn't cross me. I was barely aware that they were starting to hallucinate, too, but I had no choice. Whatever this was, it could clearly kill in less than a second and I knew it would take longer for me to kill them.

"With just a look, they shook and heavens bowed before him. Simply a look can break your heart."

I sand with more conviction and purpose as the monster edged forward, steps almost confident. 

"The stars that pierce the sky. He left them all behind. We're left to wonder why he left us all behind."

Finally, the SCP stopped dead in its tracks. He cocked his head tot he side, body shifting. In this game of tug of war, I actually felt like I could have gained some ground.

"SCP-049! Stop where you are and hold still!" shouted a guard from down the hall.

So much for Foundation guards actually being brave. They hadn't moved at all themselves. The only ones trying to do anything were Hugh and Jack, both apparently fighting through their hallucinations to shoot at the other SCP from behind me.

"Hey Miss Murder, can I? Hey miss murder, can I? Make beauty stay if I take my life?"

Suddenly the SCP started to violently shake, head whipping back and forth.

"No... this... It was clean! It was... No, everything is filthy. Nothing can be trusted," it muttered, somewhat clawed, gloved hand up and tense. "Not safe, not safe!"

Without warning, he turned his attention on me. From the velocity in which he turned his head, I thought or rather roped he would have snapped his neck. Now I was able to see fully what he saw. The walls were coated in something flesh like pulsating and writhing. It took a lot for me to continue singing as this was one of the most disgusting hallucinations I've seen.

"Dreams of his crash won't pass. Oh, how they all adored him. Beauty will last when spiraled down."

With a last forceful push, I stood my ground as it seemed he was about to charge. If he was, he changed his mind. now he started backing up, towards the other group of guards. A nervous, young researcher was pushed to the front, holding a comically large syringe. When the other SCP was close enough, the doctor pushed it into the back of his neck and injected him with something strong enough to make him pass out and crumple to the ground.

I wobbled in my spot, the pain in my arm throbbing dully. When I asked if I was going to see other SCPs, this isn't what I had in mind. I turned towards Hugh and Jack only to see them both looking gravelly down behind me.

I hesitantly turned back around and let out a choked sob. 

Steve... he was moving, but not naturally. Low, mindless groans emitted from his mouth and he clumsily tried to stand, clawing at the ground.

"Wh-- no..." I sobbed. "He..."

"Bael."

Jack rushed toward me to bury my face in his chest.

"You can't look."

I'm not sure who did it, but it truly didn't matter. A shot rang out, briefly hurting my ears. I sobbed uncontrollably.

So this is what was going to happen to all my friends?


End file.
